Champs 2017 : Lyston tells critics to shut it

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Brianna Lyston of St. Jago running in heat 2 of the class 3 girls 200m breaking the record while running 24.00 seconds at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships.

St Jago High's Brianna Lyston, who obliterated the Class Four Girls 200m record, says she wanted to not only to outperform her rivals, but "silence persons" in the media, who said she could not win gold at this year's ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships.

The brilliant 12-year-old scorched the track on Tuesday, with a scintillating 24.00 seconds clocking.

She improved on the 24.21 set by school-mate Joanne Reid in 2015.

"My coach (Keilando Gobourne) motivated me, he told me to go out there and make the semi-finals," so I just ran the curve fast and kind of went easy off the straight," she said of her race.

"In the semi-finals I want to do the same thing, dominate, dominate the race.

"Some persons on the radio were saying I was going to come only third, and I just went out there to answer them and I have better left to do," Lyston told Star Sports.

She is now aiming for three gold medals: the 200m, 100m and 4x100m. Based on Tuesday's performance and track meets, she has been performing very well this season, and few would rule her out of picking up medals in the three events.

"I ran my personal best at Central Best and at Champs, so I am happy and want to go all out," added the youngster.

Speaking of peaking at the right time, St Jago Assistant coach-Oral Whilby said the 24.00 seconds speaks perfectly of the Monk Street-based school's program.

"If you are going to break a record, then this is the perfect time to do it because her program has been geared towards peaking at Champs, as this will be where her season ends," he said.